Two out of two for Clipstone

Cobras manager Chris Millington had a few selection problems with players being unavailable from Satuday’s opening 3-0 home win against Dronfield Town.

The reshuffle saw Callum Mawby move to left back from midfield, where he did not look out of place, with Ryan Hindley the other change

The game started with Clipstone taking the initiative to the home side, with Steve Carty and Ash Rawson linking up well with Matty Ord and Dan Wood. But for all the early possession no goal scoring chance came from it.

In fact for the first 15 minutes there was little goalmouth action from either side.

Jamie Smith was then upended 25 yards out on the right level with the edge of the penalty area. Hindley saw the keeper sorting out his wall and whipped in a shot on goal, which the referee allowed to be taken. With the keeper in no-man’s land he was fortunate to see Hindley’s effort flash just wide from the far post and out for a goal kick.

This made the Ammas remember they were in a game, and went on the attack themselves. They won a corner on the far side of the pitch and Thomas Marsden hit the ball towards the penalty spot where centre half Jamie Hainsworth sent a powerful header beyond keeper Nick Siddons on 17 minutes.

Both teams took it in turns to take control of the game in five minute bursts but, with both sets of defenders standing fast, most of the shooting chances were from long range.

On 30 minutes Clipstone won a corner thanks to good work by Wood and Ord.

Taken by Carty, he swung it in to captain Rich Mintoft, who managed to beat his defender and the keeper on the near post to bring the score level.

This was turning into a really good game, and there was only one bad challenge in the first half, the home side’s Harrison Blakey receiving the first caution of the game for a two-footed challenge on Mintoft.

Clipstone started the second half in the ascendancy and on 49 minutes Dan Wood was upended once again 25 yards out on the left side. Hindley stepped up and fired towards goal, the ball just dipping a little too late and missing the crossbar by inches.

Just two minutes later the breakthrough was made. This time Rawson was felled just five yards inside the Ammas’ half. Once again taken by Hindley with pace, the kick found Stu Hill on the run who, with a first time bullet header, found the top corner of goal to put Clipstone 2-1 up with a wonderful finish that was worth the admission price all on its own.

Yorkshire did all that they could do to get back in this contest. Every time they thought they had broken through the Clipstone defence they were met by keeper Siddons who on three separate occasions denied the home attackers.

When Siddons wasn’t frustrating them it was the assistant referee, who called two offside decisions in favour of Clipstone who cheerily accepted them.

Hindley made way for Matt Austin on 75 minutes and he was straight into the action in midfield, linking up well with Rawson and Carty.

Ord continued in making great runs on the right wing, on 80 minutes he hit the byline, beat two defenders, and put a great ball across the face of goal, Wood just inches from getting a touch to it at the far post which would have put the game out of sight.